What a weekend of racing - the Tour of Galena on Saturday and the State RR Championships on Sunday.
First up, the Tour of Galena, a three-stage omnium (6.7 mile hilly prologue time trial on Saturday morning, a hilly road race on Saturday afternoon, and a downtown crit on Sunday) - it is a really nice event and I expect to see more TMT riders there next year! The prologue went well (I finished second), but I could tell just from the morning temp (already about 80 degrees) that the afternoon's road race was going to be brutal! Finishing up the prologue by 9:30 am and the road race not starting until 3 pm made for a long day of sitting around - luckily I happened to park across from the local "air conditioned" library, so I hung out there most of the day catching up on the latest issues of People magazine! Mike M joined me for the road race - race conditions of temps in the low 90s and windy, perfect for racing (note the sarcasm!). Shortly after the gun a Team Mack rider (they had 4-5 guys in the race) and another guy roll off the front, and I decide "why not" and bridge up to them (I thought it might be a good way to get the legs warmed up for later efforts). About 15 minutes later we hit the first moderate hill, and my two break away partners are falling back already, so I decide "what the heck" and decide to motor on without them. I continued to build a significant lead and soon the pack was nowhere to be seen, and since I was catching riders in the categories who started in front of us, I thought that could only help too as they pack would not know where I was. And Mike also was having a nice free ride in the group. Well fast forward to about 10 miles left to race - the heat, wind, and the effort of riding solo for the past 1.5 hours was beginning to take its toll. My right leg was starting to cramp up and my effort was beginning to drop as a result - on one of the steeper hills I actually thought I might have to walk the last 100 meters! Now I was at the point of having to unclip every so often and shake my leg around thinking that will help delay the onset of a cramp (like that will help!). With about 5 miles to go Mike and another guy (who ended up winning the omnium) caught me - my dream of fame and fortune from a solo win quickly faded and now it was survival time! I watch the two of them disappear and I am now hoping my leg does not seize up and leave me laying by the side of the road! Finally, the 500m to go sign, but now I see two Team Mack guys coming up quickly behind me!! I start my one-legged sprint, but get caught by one of the guys at the 200m to go sign and I roll in for fourth. Mike had a good race and finished second and also learned a valuable lesson - preview the finish!
Mike and I then decided that racing in the heat and wind on Saturday was so much fun that why not do it again on Sunday at the State RR Championships! Neither of us were feeling too good about our chances given the fatigue we both were feeling from Saturday's race, but you never know how things will go. Halfway into the first lap Chris Halverson attacks with two other guys, and by the time I bridged up, Chris had already dropped the two of them. The three of us chase for a lap (as the pack is chasing us as well), but we fail to close the gap to Chris and the pack finally catches us. Chris is gone and solos in for victory (he is a beast!). A few attacks from the pack here and there, but Team Velocause (with 8 or so guys) seems to want a pack finish, so nothing gets away and it comes down to a pack sprint up the finishing hill at the end. Wish I could say that Mike and I saved it all for the end and we smoked the field up the hill, but alas that was not the case! The team did have some success: Gordy is the new state champ, Glen finished 4th, and Diane finished 3rd - excellent work!
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